cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/37546974
A new Harvard survey found that 41% of Amazon employees get their schedule less than two weeks ahead of when they are scheduled to work, a practice known as “just-in-time” scheduling. For many employees — especially for those with responsibilities outside of their Amazon job, like caregiving, education, or additional jobs — just-in-time arrangements are unworkable.
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Just-in-time scheduling could have other consequences beyond leaving workers with little control over their own schedules and lives. The practice could mean that workers aren’t given enough hours, forcing them to become part-time workers with virtually no notice or ability to budget accordingly. Workers in the warehousing and transportation sectors are particularly likely to report high rates of anxiety, stress, and lack of control over their jobs as compared to other sectors — on top of elevated risk of injury and illness. And Amazon’s use of just-in-time scheduling could be indicative of other unfair scheduling practices, like “on-call” requirements — which force workers to remain available for shifts that may or may not come to be — or refusal to reschedule workers.
for very low level workers, like warehouse, its actually hunger games scheduling, they drop a limited amount of hours per week, and everyone has to fight for it. i think its different for managers, tech workers.
I suppose there are benefits to gig work like Instacart in that you get to pick your own schedule, but what is the benefit of driving for Amazon? You’re a contractor, but Amazon picks your hours?
I deleted my Amazon account around 2007, when I discovered how they treat their workers. Never looked back. Fuck Amazon.
Something like Bezos thinking everyone will be in line to serve billionaires. That that’s a worthy goal for the country.
Kind of a weird thing to press amazon specifically on, any hourly job I’ve had basically gave the next week’s schedule the thursday before… No fancy algorithm needed, just slow managers.
Edit - I’m trying to say this behavior is rampant. Amazon is a good start, now write some laws for everyone else.
I find it weird that every part time jobs tries to play off flexible scheduling as a perk. Their schedule isn’t flexible, they decide what shifts they want me to work. It might be better than factory work where you always work exactly the same shift or you must take vacation (or sick leave but they demand a doctor’s note) - but you can plan around that well in advance. Meanwhile every full time job I’ve had wasn’t factory work and so the expectation was "work any 8 hours per day, make sure you show up for the important meetings)
Yeah, my thought exactly, I doubt Wawa has a fancy term for it but it’s better than all your staff coming in or calling on Thursday to see if next week’s schedule is posted.
Shit, 3 days notice would have been nice at my last job. I’d find out if I was working that day at 7am.
My job gives the part-timers schedules on Wednesday, two weeks in advance. According to the part-timers, that’s absolutely unheard of. They say the scheduling is one of the nicest parts of the job, because they can plan more than a few days in advance.
We’ve also had part-timers basically crying when they had to call in sick. Like dude, you’re trapped on the toilet; please stay home. We don’t want you here when you’re sick. We’ll deal with the staffing shortage, just focus on recovering.
How the hell is that not standard? People have lives outside of work.
That sounds wonderful! I remember trying to juggle two jobs and it was damn near impossible because both demanded full availability for part time work, leading to their late-released schedules conflicting constantly. Eventually one fired me after i came in late from the other. My next role I set very clear boundaries coming in that “main job” would have first dibs, luckily that place was flexible enough to accommodate the shifting schedules.
Senators: You are doing something very bad
Bezos: No
Senators: Yes
Bezos: What are you gonna do about it?
Senators: …
This concludes today’s session
Seriously. It used to at least be a requirement that you tell the provable truth to congress or you’d be arrested, but now there aren’t even consequences for blatant lying.
